Day 52 - Snow Fleas

Yes, you read the title correctly. A few years ago we were walking the dogs in the woods. We saw all these little black spots on the snow. Being the city slickers that we are we figured it must be dirt or pollution. A while later we were walking with a friend and she informed us that those little black spots are snow fleas. Of course we didn't believe her at first but once we looked closely and saw them hopping around we realized she was telling us the truth.
These little creatures usually show up in early spring. However, they have already made their debut in Quebec and it's only February. Looking at them closely kind of makes me itchy but apparently they're totally harmless. The first picture shows how tiny they appear when not magnified. They are just little specs on the snow. I used my macro lens for the 2nd picture but didn't have my tripod. It's not as clear as I would like but I stayed as close as I could for about as long as I could.